Senate Health Approves Reforms to the Individual Market

Senate Health Committee met yesterday afternoon and heard several bills, including an important bill related to the implementation of health reform.

One of the most important pieces of health legislation this year, SB961 (Hernandez) is the companion bill to AB1461 (Monning), which passed out of Assembly Health Committee yesterday. This bill similarly reforms the individual health insurance market, where individuals have very few protections from the worst insurance industry abuses such as denying or charging more to people based on pre-existing conditions. The insurance industry that they should not be subject to additional regulations and consumer protections in the case that the Supreme Court overturns the individual mandate. Hernandez said that he would carry legislation to ensure that whatever pieces of the ACA are overturned are implemented in California. SB961 passed along party lines.

Here’s a news report on the Assembly version on this key bill:

Next week’s committee hearings will feature other key health reform bills, including AB1800 to limit out-of-pocket costs, and SB1313 (Lieu) to protect consumers from deceptive marketing by entities trying to trick people into buying their products by spreading false information about the Affordable Care Act. Letters in support of those measures are welcome.